will going from 8 preamps (fully mic'd drum kit) into 1-4 xlr and 5-8 1/4 line inputs on the 003 be okay? will channels 5-8 (being line inputs and not xlr) have any significant impact on how it will sound?

The XLR inputs on the 003 are for it's own mic preamps. Do not plug your preamps into them.

The ¼ inch inputs for the 003's preamps (inputs 1-4) are unbalanced DI inputs for guitars and such. I do not believe you should plug your preamps into them. (I might be wrong, but I don't think so.)

Inputs 5-8 are for line level inputs, like the outputs of your preamps.

So (as far as I know) if you want to record eight mics into the 003, you must use it's four preamps. UNLESS you can convert at least four of your mic signals to digital, then you can use the ADAT inputs. You'll be limited to 44.1k or 48k sample rate if you do that, though.

i guess i should be more specific. it would be from 500 series pre's or rack pre's, im not using, say an octopre with a spdif or adat out. i've used an octopre and an onyx before and the results were questionable.

If you go into the 1/4 inch inputs on channels 1-4, and push the DI buttons on the front panel, it's supposed to bypass the pres, but the gain knobs still work. I don't think it will change the sound between the 5-8 inputs, if you set the gain at unity.

The XLR inputs will then be going through the 003 pres, using the DI;s 1-4 should bypass them

err, a DI signal generally requires a mic preamp to boost the signal from instrument level to line level. What you say here isn't true. As a gentle sidenote, if you're going to have a tag that reads "engineer" you should probably learn the difference between mic, line and DI levels, and what circuitry is involved with each of them. I'm sure you do know really..it's just misinformation like this can easily confuse.

I can't comment on the 003, but going into the LINE inputs on a 002 doesn't bypass the gain pots, so is unlikely to bypass the preamps themselves - probably just pads them to accept line level (not an uncommon tactic, I'm pretty certain someone who's a better electrical engineer than me has stated this is the case with the digi interfaces).

You don't NEED to buy a new converter - I certainly wouldn't think the ADA800 behringer is going to be an improvement on the 003. why not just try for yourself? compare the same signal going into channel 1 and channel 5. If you can't hear a difference - no need to worry, get on with recording drums! Short of overkilling the problem by buying a whole new converter you don't really need, there's not much of a problem.

If you go into the 1/4 inch inputs on channels 1-4, and push the DI buttons on the front panel, it's supposed to bypass the pres, but the gain knobs still work. I don't think it will change the sound between the 5-8 inputs, if you set the gain at unity.

Psycho said it. Even though you CAN feed a line level in the DI input, it is unbalanced AND going through the preamp stage. Which results in very low headoom. You might be better off using the preamps on the 003 than feeding line level to inputs 1-4.

Apparently, even on the 002R, the "line level" inputs go through the pot and the preamp stage, resulting in decreased headroom compared to inputs 5-8. One of my buddies complains constantly about this "feature" from Digi.

Does anyone know how "bad" the decreased headroom is when using a mic pre/line input in to channels 1-4 of the 003R? In other words is it something that should be avoided at all costs or is it manageable with some diligence (correct source - maybe something w/o much transient info?). I ask because I have 5 outboard pres that I want to use...

I have a Digi 003 and I am pretty sure the line imputs 5 - 8 do bypass the analog circuitry used by xlr inputs 1 - 4. That is one of the main points in having those 4 line imputs there in the first place, so that the 003 can be used with external preamps!

Simple solution is this...

Run your kick, snare, and two overheads through 4 of your external preamps and then into line imputs 5 - 8, the rest of your kit you can run through the xlr imputs 1 - 4. The preamps and A/D conversion on the 003 are much better than on the 002, people often forget that, they seem to think the 003 is just a 002 with a word clock and a second headphone out!

There is no reason why you can't get a great drum sound with the above method, and if you can't then your 003 is not to blame! Good luck! thumbsup

The DI (“Direct Inject” or “Direct Interface”) Inputs are balanced connectors for guitars and other instrument level sources that support 1/4-inch TS connections. Operating levels for these inputs are fixed at +4dBu.
Gain is controlled by the corresponding Input Gain knob (located on the top panel of 003, and on the front panel of 003Rack). The source (Mic, Line, or DI) is chosen using the Mic/DI switch.

I've always been confused by the fact it says it has balanced TS connections (especially since it specifically suggests they can be used for "guitars" which are NOT balanced) but the technical specs on the digidesign site state that the LINE/DI ins are indeed "balanced 1/4" jacks." Also it is pretty dubious that they claim the MIC/DI switch can be used to select between three different input levels (line/mic/di) when it is only a two position switch!

On page 72-73 the GETTING STARTED guide goes step-by-step for connecting mixers and other "line level" devices. Clearly stating:

For line-level devices, the Input Gain knob
should be turned down all the way.

Then it goes on to say you should set your gear to optimal level then adjust the Input Gain knob. This pretty much proves the line level inputs go through the electronics/gain amps of the DI thus limiting the headroom of the device plugged in. Bummer

hello all,
i just tested to see how big of a difference there is between the input 1 set to di (with the gain all the way down) and "line input" #5 of a digi 003. i took a crappy casio's line out and recorded a tone through a stereo preamp(output'ed to both 1 and 5) so i simply switched a cable to get a comparison, and the #1 set to DI is ever so slightly "hotter" than the line in. It's a matter of a DB or two of headroom loss.

I agree with tamasdragon, and that the variance in signal level on channels 1-4 can be controlled with your preamps' output level. We use an RME OctamicD in to the adat port, and regularly record up to 16 channels simultaneously.